Soul Society
Introduction Soul Society is split up into two major regions - the white, fortress-city of the Seireitei, located in the center, and the surrounding vastness of the Rukongai, an urban sprawl bordered by wilderness. Soul Society at large is reminiscent of feudal Japan in architecture and customs, though Seireitei itself is quite unlike anything else; massive, whitewashed towers rise up over the city, sprawling complexes and tidy streets give way to hills and gardens, and everywhere the eye can see, Shinigami go about their daily business. For Shinigami, the Seireitei is simultaneously their home and their base of operations. Seireitei The Seireitei looks more like a fortress than a home, and is therefore the perfect reflection of the militaristic Gotei that runs the city and governs the Shinigami within. Once inside those white walls you can find all manner of buildings. Some structures stretch high up into the air as if to scratch the sky, while others are no larger than the homes of the upper districts of the Rukongai. The buildings vary in purpose from large residential complexes, shops, barracks for the less wealthy Shinigami, to large fields, gardens, and lakes. Most of Seireitei is zoned off into sections, creating isolated commercial areas, residential areas, and areas specifically for the Divisions. Residential areas can includes neighborhoods of full-size, single-family homes for wealthy officers and nobility, or sometimes towering apartment complexes to house many more Shinigami more efficiently. Commercial areas frequently mix with the residential and provide Shinigami with products and services within their walls, allowing them to live entirely within the city and not Rukongai, if they so choose. The Divisions themselves, however, are unique. The Second Division, for instance, is known for having some of the largest fields that you can find within Seireitei. In contrast, the Fourth Division is largely contained within their own complexes. Each Division will also have some standard facilities, such as barracks and closely attached residential areas. As a whole, the Seireitei is a true fortress city in that it is entirely self-sustaining and built to withstand siege—an event that has yet to be attempted. Shinigami, unless directed as per assignment, can find all of their needs met within its walls. Rukongai Outside of the monolithic walls of the Seireitei are the rest of the souls on their second life. Far from formally organized, the Rukongai is broken up first by sections named for the cardinal directions (North, South, East, West) and then further stratified by a District number that counts up the further from the Seireitei you travel, beginning with 1 and normally ending with 80. Those sections closest to the Seireitei, and therefore closest to the wealth, protection, and quality of life it provides, are considered the ‘upper class’ section. Here, the most successful businesses, the wealthiest traders, and most historically successful families own land and do business. The daytime streets are lined with vendors looking to catch the eye of Shinigami on patrol or on their down time, and the side streets and alleys full of bars and restaurants reveal a vibrant night life. As you travel further through the streets and narrows, past District 10, the Rukongai quickly shifts into a mix of markets and niche shops, often with second level apartments and a climbing population density. It is here, in this massive band, that most of the souls in The Soul Society live out their afterlife. While births do occur, resulting in pure souls, it is most common that households in the Rukongai are made up of patchwork families that periodically adopt new members for a variety of reasons. In this sense, many households follow the traditional Japanese take on society although there countless exceptions to this standard that dot the landscape. Each of these Districts makes up their own sense of community, often uniting resources and sometimes even systems of justice and politics to make up for the reducing influence from the Seireitei, the further out one travels. By the time you’ve reached Districts numbered in the 50’s or 60’s, regular patrols of Shinigami have all but vanished and it would not be uncommon to only see one once or twice a year. The Outer Districts are notable in that the law has almost totally shifted from the Seireitei, to the hands of ambitions men and women who are willing to grab ahold of authority. ‘Might Makes Right’ is a common mantra, and even a common way of life in these parts. Many are forced into life with small mercenary or bandit groups in order to meet their basic needs, others are press-ganged into service as part of turf, and some migrate out to ‘lawless’ districts in order to escape the authority of the Seireitei. But even the vast, seemingly endless sprawl of the Rukongai does have its self. Beyond the furthest edges of The Soul Society, the streets turn to gently worn, dirt roads and thickening forests. Many manors and farms dot the landscape to help keep the Seireitei supplied with the food necessary to sustain their spiritual power.